Combined thermostatic and safety reset gas valve



March 22, 1960 c, cuR ETAL 2,929,557

COMBINED THERMOSTATIC AND SAFETY RESET GAS VALVE Filed Nov. 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 owl-mm: a. cum: BY NICKOLAS .1 SIDARiS INVENTORS March 22, 1960 c. B. CURRIE ETAL 2,929,557

COMBINED THERMOSTATIC AND SAFETY RESET GAS VALVE Filed Nov. 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. COURT LAND B. GLRRE NICKOLAS J. SDARIS COMBINED THERMOSTATIC AND SAFETY RESET GAS VALVE Courtland B. Currie, Los Angeies, and Nickolas J.

Sidaris, Long Beach, Calif., assignors to Minneapolis- Z ioneyvveil Regulator Company, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Application November 9, 1955, Serial No. 545,814

6 Claims. (Cl. 236-21) The invention relates to combination valves which are particularly suitable for use in water heaters but, ohviously, may be adapted to other uses.

Controls for regulating the flow of gas to a fuel burning device, such as a gas water heater, must generally provide a plurality of functions. The control should have a manually operable control for cutting off the supply of all gas to a main burner and to a pilot burner for igniting the main burner, must be adjustable to provide for the adjusting and the cutting on of gas to the main burner while leaving the pilot burner in operation, should provide filter means between the manually operable valve and the outlet from the control to the pilot burner, as well as a manually adjustable valve for regulating the fuel to the pilot burner, should provide a reliable thermostatically operated valve between the manually operable valve and the outlet to the main burner, and should provide some safety means responsive to the presence or absence of a flame at the pilot burner for cutting off the supply of gas to at least the main burner.

Due to the fact that space around a water heater is at a premium it is also highly desirable that the control device be of minimum size and yet provide maximum capacity for its size so as to assure sufiicient fuel flow to maintain the water in the heater at a proper temperature.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a very compact, attractive, strong, reliable and high capacity control device or combination valve of the above mentioned type to meet the control requirements also mentioned above.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a unitary structure, a plurality of valves, 2. filter and a safety unit in an arrangement which provides optimum fluid flow in the passages therethrough to provide the highest fuel capacity for a unit of its size.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in a combination valve of small size, particularly in its front to back dimension, a manually reset safety mechanism for resetting the safety control portion of the unit.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a motion transmitting mechanism between a condition responsive safety unit and a condition responsive valve for overpowering the valve actuating mechanism by the safety unit, which mechanism provides easy resetting movement of the safety unit by an externally operated reset member. 7

Gther objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the combination valve with portions of the cover broken away and portions shown in cross section;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the right hand end of the combination valve, with portions broken away and portions shown in cross section, as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the left hand end ited States Patent ice of the invention as illustrated in Figure 1, with portions thereof broken away and portions shown in cross section;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 with the elements shown in their resetting positions.

The combination valve consists of a main body casting 11 having a threaded inlet 12 communicating with a vertically extending tapered bore 13. The bore 13 communicates at its inner end with a cavity 14 in the front side of the casting and through a stepped bore 15 with a cavity 16 in the right hand side of: the valve casting, as illustrated in Figure 1.

As can be best seen in Figure 4 of the drawing, a plug valve 17 is rotatably mounted in the tapered bore 13 and has a radial bore 18 therein which is adapted to register with the inlet 12 in the on position of the plug valve. The plug valve is retained in the bore 13 by means of'a compression spring 19 positioned around an upwardly extending stem 17a of the plug valve and bearing at one end against the top of the plug and at its other end against a washer 20 which, in turn, bears against a grommet 21 holding two plates 22 and 23 together. The bottom plate 22 is a retaining plate secured by means of screws (not shown) to the top of the casting 11 and has an upwardly extending abutment arm 22a thereon. The plate 23 is rotatable with respect to the plate 22 on the grommet 21 and carries at one side thereof an abutment arm 23a and at the other side thereof an arcuate portion 2311 which is adapted to be clamped in various adjustable positions by means of a screw 24 threaded into a bore (not shown) in the top of casting 11.

The stem 17a has a flattened portion 17b which enges with the flat portion of a D-shaped bore in a manual control knob 25. The knob has an arcuate recess 26 in the bottom thereof which is adapted to cooperate with the abutment members 22a and 23a to limit the opening and closing movement of the knob and, thereby, enabling the plug valve to regulate the amount of gas flow through-the device. An L-shaped recess 27 extending along the bottom of the knob and axially along the bore 250, has a spring friction member 28 therein which is adapted to retain the knob on the stem 17a. An arcuate groove 17c extends around the right hand half of the plug valve, as viewed in Figure l, and is of sufi'icient length to extend from the bore 15 to an arcuate groove 13a in the left rear portion of the bore 13, as viewed in Figure 4, in the on and pilot positions of the plug valve, but is of insufiicient length to establish communication between the groove 13a and the bore 15 when the plug valve is in its off position.

A filter 29, having a rubber grommet 39 in its inlet, is located in the chamber 16. it is resiliently held with its grommet 30 sealingly surrounding the bore 15 by means of a leaf spring member 31 positioned between the filter and a cover plate 32, which is secured to the side wall of the casting 11 by means of bolts 33. As can best be seen in Figure 2 of the drawing, the chamber 16 communicates with an outlet passage 34 terminating in an enlarged and threaded portion 34a that is adapted to be connected to a pilot burner (not shown) through a 4 small tube (not shown) which, in turn, is adapted to be connected to the passage 34 by means of a conventional clamp fitting 35. The passage 34 is controlled by a conventional, manually-adjustable valve 36 extending across the bore 34 and through the front wall of the casting, in a bore 37 which intersects the bore 34. The outer end of the bore 37 is threaded to receive a sealing plug 38. It is thus seen that gas may flow from the inlet 12 past the plug valve 17 through its arcuate passage 17c.

ing'a low temperature coefficient of expansion.

bore 15, filter 29, valve 36, and bore 34 to a pilot burner. The amount of gas flow to the pilot burner is adjustable by means of the valve 36, While the gas flow to the pilot burner is turned on and E normally by the plug valve 17.

The chamber 14, below the plug valve 17, has apar tition 40 between it an d an outlet chamber 39 with an opening 4% and a; tubular "wall portion 45c extending between the two chambers. A valveseat 4% is milled in the chamber 14 side of the partition 40 around the opening 40a 'to' receive a disc valve 41.

The valve 41 is slidably mounted on a guide stem 42 fixedly secured at one endjthereof in a mounting bracket 43 which, in turn, is secured to the back side of the cast ing 11 around the chamber 39, with a gasket 44 therebetween, by means of bolts 45. The mounting bracket 43 has a shank portion 46 thereonwhich is externally threaded so that it may be screw threaded into an opening in a hot water tank (not shown).

The disc valve 41 has a washer 41a thereon that is adapted to seal the opening 46a against fluid flow therethrough. Thewasher is held on the disc 41 by means of alight metallic fasher 47 which is biased against the washer 41a by means of a helical spring 48 that is anof the stem 49 has an enlarger portion 49a that is internally threaded to receive an externally threaded bearing sleeve 51. A valve actuating sleeve 52 slidably extends through the bearing sleeve 51 and has an enlarged diameter portion 52a which is slidable in a smaller bore portion of the stem 49 and provides an abutment shoulder for engagement with the inner end of the guide sleeve 51. A. compression spring 53 is positionedbetween the flange of the bearing sleeve i) and the inner end of the actuating sleeve 52 so as to form a strain release for the valve 41, for a purpose to be hereinafter'described.

The valve 41 is normally biased into seating engagement with the valve seat 46b by means of a helical compression spring 54 bearing against a lever 55. The lever has an arm extension 55a that extends laterally there from and intorengagement with the top of the valve disc. The small diameter end portion of the spring 54v is clamped to the arm 55 along with the extension 55a by means of. a screw 56' screw threaded into'the lever 55.

The lever 55 is'rockably mounted on a pivot 57 positioned in recesses 58 and 59 formed in the outer surface of the casting 11. One end of the pivot is held in its recess 59 by means of a plate 69 secured to the casting 11 by means of screwr61. The other end of the pivot 57 is held in recess 58 by the front cover plate 62'which seals the opening of the chamber 14with a gasket 63 therebetweeu. When the plate 62 is securely held to the casting 11 by means of bolts 64, the spring 54 will be compressed sufiiciently to normally hold the valve 41 in its closed position.

The valve 41 is actuated to its open position by means of a snap acting disc 65 having an arm extension 65a. Extension 65a has'a hole therethrough which surrounds the guide 42 and bears against the outer end of the actuating sleeve for the valve 41. The snap disc, which is of conventional construction, is snapped from one side of'its center to the other side of its center by means member 67, in response to changes in temperature ai'fing fingers 70a which straddle a transversely extending pin 71 on an adjusting stem 72.

The stem 72 has an enlarger diameter portion or head 73 which fits in tubular portion 49c of the partition 49, coaxial with the tube 68. A reduced diameter portion 73a of the head portion 73 of the adjustment stem, extends through a stepped opening 74 in the cover plate 62 and terminates in a beveled end portion which receives an adjusting knob and pointer 75. The knob 75 is tightly clamped on the adjusting stem 72 by means of a bolt 76 extending through the knob and screwthreadedinto a threaded bore in the outer end of the enlarged portion 73 of the adjusting stem. The stem 73 is prevented from moving outwardly of the'valve housing by means of a shoulder formed by the reduced diameter portion 73a of the stem and is prevented from moving inwardly of V stem 72. a

fecting aheat-expandable tube 68 and a wire 69 hav- The wire 69 and tube '6Sare connected rigidly'at their outer ends while the inner of the tube 68 is screw threaded into the mounting bracket 43 and the wire 69 is screw threaded into ,an adjustable internally threaded sleeve 70. The sleeve has a flange portion thereon which bears against the outer surface of the member 67 through. a bearing washer and has a pair of longitudinally extendit is thus seen that the position of the abutment 67 V with respect to the abutment 66 and, thereforqthe point at which expansion and contraction of the tube 63 will cause snapping of the disc from one side'to the other, to open and close the valve 41, may be varied by rotating the knob 75 to the right or to the left to position the pointer portion 75a of the knob to the hot or to the warm side of the center of the range of adjustment.

To provide for safety shut down ofthe main gas flow in the event that the pilot-burner goes out, an electromagnet 78' is secured within the casting 11, under the lever 55 and to one side of the valve 41, by means of a stem 79 having threads 79a thereon and extending through a hole 84? in the bottom wall of the casting '11 and clamped therein by means of a nut 81 threaded onto the stem 79 and bearing tightly'against the bottom wall of the casting 11. The stem has four flat sides 79]) which may be engaged by a wrench to prevent rotation thereof during assembly. The stem 79 is electrically grounded through nut 31 to the casting Hand is electrically connected to one end of the coil of the electromagnet, while a central lead member (not shown) is mounted within and insulated from the stem 79 and is electrically connected to the other end 'of the magnet coil, which is illustrated in dotted lines as being of the divided type, one portion being on each leg of a U- shaped magnet core. 'The electromagnet is adapted to be connected to a thermoelectricgenerator (not shown), in the form of a thermocouple heated by the pilot burner, in a conventional maner. The armature 8 2; which is adapted to be held by the magnet when the thermocouple is being heated by thepilot burner, but which is not strong enough to attract the armature when the thermocouple is being heated, is illustrated in its released position. In this position, a coil compression spring 83 biases the armature stem outwardly of the magnet housing and rocks a pivoted lever 84 clockwise (as viewed in Figure 3) about the pivot 57 tdmove the lever 55 in a direction to close the disc valve 41. The spring 83 is sufiiciently strong to move the lever 55 against the bias of strain release spring 53 to cause closing of the valve 41 even though the valve 41 may be open under the bias of the snap disc 65.

To provide for safe resetting of the armature 82 into engagement with the electromagnet without establishing flow of gas to the main burner, a floating lever 85 having two substantially parallel extending ends 85a and 85b with a transversely extending spacing portion 850 therebetween, is positioned with the end 85a between the lever 84 and the end 550 of the lever 55, with the portion 85c extending through theslot 55b in the portion 550. It will thus be noted that the free end of the portion 850 bears against the freeendof the portion 550 and the inner end of the portion 85a bears against an intermediate portion of the lever 84. With this arrangement, movement of the free end otthe portion 855 of the lever 85 towards the lever 5'5 will cause the lever 55 to try to pivot in a clockwise direction about the pivot 57, as viewed in Figure 5, but, due to the fact that the valve 41 is closed at the time, the lever 35 will pivot about the outer free end of the portion 85a and on the lever portion 55:: to rock the lever 84 in a counter-clockwise direction about the pivot 57 to reset the armature 82 into the engagement with the core of the electromagnet. Then, if the magnet is energized, return movement of the lever 85b will free the lever 55 to move under the control of the thermostatic portion of the control, should it be calling for heat.

The means for actuating the portion 85b of the lever 85 is manually operable reset button do which is screw threaded on a stem that extends through the front cover plate 62 and terminates in a head portion 87c that is adapted to engage the portion 8510 when the stem is moved inwardly. The stem 87 is sealed around the hole 83 by means of a washer 89 under the head 87a and by means of an O-ring 9i surrounding the stem 87 and biased against the outer surface of the cover 62. by means of a washer 91 and a coiled compression spring 92 positioned between the knob 86 and the washer 91. The spring not only serves as means to compress the 0ring about the shaft 87 and against the cover 62 but also to return the reset button 85 to its retracted position. It is thus seen that a very simple yet reliable and sturdy resetting mechanism is provided for holding the thermostatically controlled vaive in its oft position, while actuating the resetting mechanism for the thermocouple safety override of the thermostatic valve, to prevent the flow of gas to the main burner until it is assured that the gas has been ignited by the pilot fiame.

it is also to be noted that the gas flow from the inlet 12 to the main burner is through a substantially L- shaped passage and that the flow of gas to the pilot burner is also through a substantially L-shaped passage, thus providing an arrangement in a single unitary structure for controlling both main and pilot burner gas flows through passages which require a minimum amount of oranges in the direction of gas flow, so as to provide high flow capacity for the valve size.

Operation The combination valve or control is illustrated in its shut down position, that is, the thermostatic elements are in the position they assume when the water in a hot water tank is at or above the desired water temperature.

Assuming that the control is mounted in a heating installation such as a hot water heater, and is properly connected to a source of gas, the safety may be reset by pressing on the button 86, nasmuch as plug valve is already located in its on position, that is with the bore 18 in alignment with the inlet 12, permitting the flow of gas from the inlet 12 through the filter and to the pilot burner. The inward movement of the button 86 will cause the pivoting of the lever 85in a clockwise direction to rock the lever 84 in a counterclockwise direction while holding the lever 55 in its illustrated position, with the valve 41 closed. if the pilot burner was already burning or if the pilot burner is then lit and the reset button Sdheld in a suihcient length of time to permit the pilot burner flame to heat the thermocouple so as to energize the electromagnet, releasing of the button 86 will free lever 55 for movemen toward lever 84, which will permit the thermostatic unit to open the thermostatic valve against the bias of spring 54 when the water temperature drops below the control point.

When the water temperature does drop below the control point, the tube 63 will shrink or shorten permitting the snap disc to bias the actuating sleeve 52 toward the valve 41. As the spring 53 is stronger than the spring 54, the valve 41 will be opened against the bias of the spring 54 as mentioned above. A valve will then remain open until either the rod and tube has become satisfied or until the pilot burner becomes extinguished, causing de-energization of the electromagnet and the closing of the valve by the spring 83 of the electromagnet, as indicated above.

Should it be desired to cut off the gas fiow to the main burner regardless of the condition of the thermostat, the plug valve can be manually rotated to the pilot or off position which would cut oil the fiow to the main burner. If the plug valve is moved to the off position, the gas flow to the pilot burner would be interrupted also, which would cause the armature to leave the electromagnet and, in effect, provide safety shut-down. Under these conditions, the mere turning of the plug valve to the pilot or on position would not cause resumption of gas flow to the main burner but would provide gas flow to the pilot burner. To again obtain gas flow to the main burner, the safety mechanism must be reset as described above after the plug valve has been moved to its pilot or on position.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it is deemed to be obvious to those skilled in the art that various minor changes could be made in the preferred embodiment of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. Therefore, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is to be determined solely from the amended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a safety control valve, the combination comprising a housing having an inlet and a main outlet and a secondary outlet, a first manually operable valve between said inlet and said outlets, a second valve between said first valve and said main outlet, first condition responsive means for actuating said second valve, from a closed position to an open position, strain release means between said condition responsive means and said second valve, second condition responsive means having a fixed holding member and a movable member adapted to be held by but incapable of being attracted by said holding member, means for biasing said movable member away from said holding member, a first lever pivoted intermediate its ends on a fixed pivot and having one of its ends spring biased against said second valve to normally hold said valve in its closed position, a second lever pivoted at one of its ends on said pivot and the other end thereof in operating engagement with said I second condition responsive means a floating lever having a first portion thereof in engagement with the other end of said first lever and a second portion in engagement with an intermediate portion of said second lever, and means to actuate a third portion of said floating lever to move said movable member intoengagement with said fixed holding member while holding said second valve closed.

2. In a safety control valve, the combination comprising a housing having an inlet and a main outlet and a secondary outlet, a first manually operable valve between said inlet and said outlets, a second valve between said first valve and said main outlet, a third valve between said first valve and said secondary outlet, first condition responsive means for actuating said second valve from a closed position to an open position, strain release means between said condition responsive means and said second valve, second condition responsive means having a fixed holding member and a movable member adapted to be held by but incapable of being attracted by said holding member, means for biasing said movable member away from said holding member, a first lever pivoted intermediate its ends on a fixed pivot and having one of its ends spring biased against said second valve to normally hold said valve in its closed position, a second lever pivoted at one of its ends on said pivot and the other end thereof in operating engagement with said second condition responsive means a floating lever having one end in engagement with the other end of said first lever and'an intermediate portion in engagement with an intermediate portion of said second lever, and means to actuate the other end of said floating lever to reset said movable member. 7

3, In a safety control valve, the combination comprising a housing having an inlet andv a main outlet and a secondary outlet, the axes of said outlets being substantially at a right angle to the axis of said inlet, a first manually operable valve between said inlet and said outlets and intersecting the axis of said inlet, a second valve between said first valve and said main outlet and substantially in alignment with said first valve and said i open. position, strain release means between said condition responsive means and said second valve, second condition responsive means havinga fixed holding member and a movable member adapted to be held by but incapable of being attracted by said holding member, means forbiasing said movable member away from said holding member, a first lever pivoted intermediate its ends on a fixed pivot and having one of its ends spring biased againstsaid second valve to normally hold said valve in its closed position, a second lever pivoted at one of its ends on said pivot and the other end thereof in operating engagement with said second condition responsive means a floating lever having one end in engagement with the other end of said first lever and an intermediate portion in engagement with an intermediate portion of said second lever, and means to actuate the other end of said floating lever for resetting said movable memher into engagement with said fixed holding member.

4. A safety control 'valve comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a valve between said inlet and said outlet, condition responsive means for actuating said valve 7 from a closed position to an open position,

' strain release means between said condition responsive means and saidvalve, second condition responsive means 'having a fixed holding member and amovable member adapted to be held by but'incapable of being atplug valve, a thermostatically operated valve controlling fluid flow between the central bore of said plug valve and said main outlet and positioned substantially in line therewith, condition responsive means in said housing to one side of the thermostatically operated valve for overpowering the thermostatic means of said thermostatically actuated valve when a certain condition exists, a secondary outlet adjacent to and, on the opposite side of said main outlet from said condition responsive means, and reset means for said condition responsive means having a pair of levers pivoted on a common pivot with one lever engaging said valve and the other being arranged to engage said condition responsive means and manually operable means including a floating lever pivoted at one of its ends on one of said levers and intermediate its ends on the other of said levers for rotating said other lever with respect to said one lever to reset said condition responsive.

means while holding said valve in closed position,

6. A combination valve comprising a substantially rectangular housing having an inlet at one side thereof,

. reset condition responsive means in said housing to one tracted by said holding member, means for biasing said movable member away from said holding member, a first thereof in operating engagement'with said second condition responsive means, a floating lever having one end in engagement with the other end of said first lever and an intermediate portion in engagement with an intermediate portion ofsaid second lever, and means to actuate the other end of said floating lever.

5. A combination valve comprising a' substantially 'rectangularhousing having an inlet at one side thereof,

a plug valve having a side opening therein adapted to register with saidinlet and a central bore in the'finner end thereof opening into the interior of said housing and a peripheral groove therein for conducting fluid from said inlet to a passage in said housing on the opposite side of said plug valve from said inlet, atmain outlet in the bottom of said housing substantiallyrcoaxial with said outlet adjacent to and on the opposite side of said main outlet from said manually reset means, a filter chamber and a regulator valve having passages between said secondary outlet and said passage and substantiallyv aligned 'with the axis of said secondary outlet,lsaid filter chamher also having an inlet substantially in alignment with said inlet to said housing, and a filter therein resiliently biased against the mouth of said chamber; inlet, and a reset mechanism for said condition responsive means having two adjoining levers engaging said thermostatically operated valve and said condition responsive means re! spectively and manually operable means including a floating lever pivoted at one ofits ends on one of said levers and intermediate its ends on Ithe other of'said levers to hold said valve closed ,While simultaneously resetting said condition responsive means,

4 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,245,834 Sparrow June 17, 1941 2,319,685 Jackson May 18,1943 2,361,944 Jackson Nov, 7, 1944 2,361,945 Jackson Nov. 7, 1944 2,604,266 Jackson July 22, 1952 2,690,873 Vaughn Oct. 5, 1954 2,719,531 Sagge Oct. 4, 1955 

